The design and fabrication of life rafts are well-known to the art. The purpose of existing life rafts is for people abandoning an imperiled ship and then waiting in the life raft for an undetermined time for the possibility of rescue from outside sources.
Existing life rafts can be divided into two groups. The first group has anti-capsize water ballast bags which are mounted on the underside of the life raft. Their purpose is to collect and contain sea water for ballast in order to reduce chance of capsize from a storm, turbulent seas, or aggressive sea life. Some life rafts have ballast bags which can be intentionally collapsed; but those life rafts can not be sailed effectively because the collapsed ballast bag material would foul the hydrodynamics of a boat under way.
The second group of life rafts has no anti-capsize water ballast bags. Neither group has sailing capabilities outside of drifting dead down wind.
In emergency situations, it most often becomes vitally necessary for the life raft to maneuver toward or away from the following: a sinking ship or airplane, burning fuel on the water, on-rushing traffic, jagged rocks or coral reefs, enemy capture; or injured persons, other rafts, rescue ships, or the safety of a gentle shore. Existing life rafts do not offer this maneuverability.
Existing life rafts boast of people surviving 117 days in them; whereas any sailing boat can be sailed to some landfall in much less than 117 days.
Existing life rafts have neither compass nor nautical charts on board because there is no effective method of mobility.
Users of existing life rafts literally cast their fate to the wind and suffer extreme hardships from exposure, dehydration, starvation, lack of medical facilities, and the despair of being totally out of control of the situation.
As for existing inflatable sailing boats; they endeavor to make a non-rigid hull into a rigid hull by adding bulky and heavy hardware and appliances that cannot be stowed inside a standard-sized life raft cannister or valise.
Existing inflatable sailing boats do not have anti-capsize water ballast bags.
Therefore, a life raft with fully retractable ballast bags and effective sailing gear may well be the only means to survival. The Sail Raft will promote self-rescue. The ease of assembly, use, and disassembly will reduce search and rescue time and money. The Sail Raft will save lives.